Volume 46 • No. 3 Sent to all Nebraska Nurses courtesy of the Nebraska Nurses Association September, October, November 2013 Quarterly circulation approximately 31,000 to all RNs, LPNs, and Student Nurses in Nebraska. Notable Speakers Featured Children and Nurses’ Day at 2013 Backpack Convention Heroes Dinner Page 4 Safety Page 2 Page 9 President’s Column Teresa Anderson, EdD, MSN, RNC-OB, NE-BC in decades . Please make plans – members and non-members – to join us in Kearney for this critical nursing work! It will be important work – but not all work! Join us Thursday “It was the best of times…it was the worst of times ”. This night as we resurrect the Patron Dinner, or stay up later on Friday night to attend the famous line from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens might President’s Birthday Party! We will also be showing the “Nurse Movie: If Florence Could be used to describe this past six months in NNA… See Us Now” at our social hour to which we have invited our LPN colleagues, also in The best of times have included the largest Legislative Day Kearney for their convention! Visit www .nebraskanurses org. for registration and more attendance in recent memory, an amazing evening with Dr . information . Tom Osborne and over 100 amazing Nebraska Nursing Heroes and Mentors, 58 new members, a full slate of candidates for our upcoming election, and our pride in our members and NNP friends on their incredible journey through Nebraska 407 scope of practice review . I cannot emphasize my appreciation for the amazing group of volunteers and intermittent staff helping us to Teresa Anderson keep things moving! The “worst of times” include our continued technology challenges, lack of young nurse membership, and some of our priority legislation remaining in committee at the end of the legislative session . For me it has been both a stressful and triumphant six months . Our challenges have weighed heavy on my heart, even while I have worked to trust the process and incorporate the ideas and talents of our “transition” staff model and leadership team . Through the MSD collaboration, we now have the unwavering support of six other states – WI, MO, IA, ND, KS, and MI – as we all navigate the uncertainty of this operational and financial pilot . At the 2013 ANA Membership Assembly, Douglass Haas and I were surrounded by our new team, and the benefits of collaboration became crystal clear . Our experiences in Washington, DC, including visits with Senators Johanns and Fisher, the Honorable Adrian Smith, and a heated debate with staffers in Congressman Lee Terry’s office, have shown us the support nursing has at the national level . I was excited to hear about a new option for ANA-PAC donations to be directed toward candidates of the donor’s political party preference, and an increased political balance in the candidates endorsed by ANA-PAC . These are direct reflections of the new ANA, which is dedicated to bringing each state success and growth, while being attentive to member suggestions and needs (I made a strong case for legislative equality back in January) . Being a leader within a volunteer association requires a different skill set – one that understands that life has priorities and sometimes those priorities can shift within a split second . The ability and willingness of volunteers to rally together to support others in need is the secret of civil service . The ability to move mountains while the chips are down comes from the collective internal drive to make a difference “just because it is the right thing to do ”. There is no way to capture the magic of this “nursing spirit,” just the need to support it, respect it, and honor it! This edition of the Nebraska Nurse finds us heading into our own transformational In This Issue governance session with the NNA Convention and House of Delegates, meeting on October 18th and 19th, to consider the largest governance shift for our state association President’s Column . 1 Presort Standard Notable Speakers Featured at 2013 Convention . 2 US Postage This newsletter is a service ANA Holds First Membership Assembly in D C. 3 PAID Permit #14 of the Nebraska Nurses Nurses’ Day Heroes Dinner . 4-5 Princeton, MN current resident or 55371 Association and your receipt Around the Districts . 6-7 of it does not mean you are Traumatic Brain Injury vs . Post-Traumatic automatically a member. Your Stress Disorder . 8 membership in support of this Nebraska Nurse Practitioners . 9 work is encouraged; Nebraska Nurses Association Membership please visit Application . 10 www.nebraskanurses.org Page 2 • Nebraska Nurse September, October, November 2013 Notable Speakers Featured at NNA’s Mission: The mission of the Nebraska Nurses Association 2013 Convention is to foster high standards for nursing practice, stimulate and promote the professional development of nurses, and advance their professional security, The agenda for this year’s NNA Convention features and to work for the improvement of health standards together nursing stakeholders to develop a shared vision, three notable presenters that will speak to their year’s and availability of health care services for all people . strategies, and specific actions for improving nursing Convention theme, Transformational Leadership from (Adopted 10/95, NNA House of Delegates) Boardroom to Bedside: Quality and Innovation . Below is practice, education, and the delivery of patient care just a tidbit of information on these nursing experts . through the use of health information technology (IT) . Roy will present information titled “Technology: The Forefront NNA’s Vision: Cindy Balkstra, MSN, Pulmonary CNS of Inter-Professional Collaboration ”. Nebraska Nurses Association will be an effective voice for nurses; and an advocate for Nebraska consumers on The keynote speaker Jill Kliethermes, MSN, RN, FNP-BC issues relating to health . (Affirmed 12/04/2004, NNA is Ms . Cindy Balkstra, Board of Directors) the First Vice President Ms . Kliethermes is the of the American Nurses Chief Executive Officer Critical Success Factors for Vision: Association; she is a long of the Missouri Nurses • State and districts set mutual priorities time member of the Georgia Association . Jill completed • Evaluate the success of the restructuring of NNA Nurses Association and her Master’s Degree in • Enhance grass roots activities for membership serves as the Association’s Nursing as a Family involvement North Regional Coordinator Nurse Practitioner and a • Advocate for statewide quality healthcare and Co-Chair of the Post Master’s Degree in (Affirmed 12/04/2004, NNA Board of Directors) Georgia Congress on Leadership in Nursing Nursing Practice . Ms . and Healthcare Systems NNA’s Core Issues: Balkstra is employed from the University of 1 . Workplace Rights by United Hospice Missouri, Columbia, MO . 2 . Appropriate Staffing (Gainesville, GA) and is a Jill was the 2012 recipient 3 . Workplace Health & Safety Clinical Consultant for CareFusion/Adecco (San Diego, of the AANP State Award a . Patients CA) . She earned a MSN from the University of California for Nurse Practitioner b . Community/Public Health in San Francisco, CA and a BSN from Villa Maria College Advocate which recognizes the efforts of individuals who c . Workplace in Erie, PA. She is a Board Certified Pulmonary Clinical have made a significant contribution toward increasing 4 . Continuing Competence Nurse Specialist . Cindy will present an update on the the awareness and acceptance of the Nurse Practitioners . (Affirmed 12/04/2004, NNA Board of Directors) ANA Transformation 2012-2013 . Jill was recognized as the 2010/2011 Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women for NNA’s Official Publication: Roy L. Simpson, DNP, RN, DPNAP, FAAN demonstrating excellence and dedication within their profession . The Nebraska Nurse is the official publication of the Mr . Simpson is the Jill is a member of American Nurses Association, Nebraska Nurses Association (NNA) (a constituent member Vice President of Nursing Missouri Nurses Association, American Society of of the American Nurses Association), published quarterly at Cerner Corporation in Association Executives, Missouri Society of Association every March, June, September and December. The NNA provides education, networking opportunities, publications Kansas City, MO . He earned Executives, National Association of Professional Women, International Association of Nurses and Sigma Theta Tau . and other products and services to its members and extends a DNP from American its mission to all nurses in Nebraska. Sentinel University in Jill will present “Leveraging the MSD Model for Thriving Phone: (402) 475–3859 2012 . He currently serves SNAs .” You can leave a message at any time! as a member of the TIGER Email: [email protected] Board. The TIGER Web site: www.NebraskaNurses.org Initiative, an acronym for Mail: PO Box 82086 Technology Informatics Lincoln NE 68501–2086 Guiding Education Reform, Questions about your nursing license? was formed in 2004 to bring Contact the Nebraska Board of Nursing at: www.NebraskaNurses.org (402) 471–4376 . The NBON is part of the Nebraska Health and Human Services System Regulation and Licensure . Questions about stories in the Nebraska Nurse? Contact: NNA . This newsletter is a service of the Nebraska Nurses Association and your receipt of it does not mean Published by: you are automatically a member. Your membership in support of this work is encouraged; please visit Arthur L. Davis www.nebraskanurses.org. Publishing Agency,